Revealed: the new species threatened by deep-sea mining
Summary:
For many hundreds of years people have always thought that there was little life at the bottom of the ocean. However, with more advanced technology we humans were able to gain enough knowledge to reveal that there are many living creatures and even ecosystems on the ocean floor. Just recently a species call the Kiwa Hairy Crab was discovered down below. Even though they are newly found the organisms are struggling to survive. In order to live, species strive off of hydrothermal vents. These volcanic structures release chemicals making the environment able to sustain life. Humans, however, are mining the vents making them close off and not usable for the environment. Without these vents life would not be able to survive. Thus killing thousands of unknown species before we even get a chance to discover them.
Reaction:
I think that it's terrible how humans are just going down and destroying ecosystems that we may never know about. Who knows what may be in the depths of the ocean. To prevent this mining i think that the countries who are currently in the process of deep sea mining should either cut down or stop completely before the idea spreads to other places.
Questions:
1) What are the benefits of this kind of mining?
2) What are miners taking from the vents?
3) What are some ways to prevent this problem?
Opinion/Reflection
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this article, I am shocked as to how much damage we can do by just mining for deep-sea minerals. I was also one of those people who thought that there was no life at the bottom of the ocean, but I am now convinced that there are whole ecosystems at the bottom of the ocean! I agree with Richard Steiner, saying that we need to dematerialise all of the materials that we use, so then we could reduce or even stop deep-sea mining. It is horrible to think that the products that I am buying or using could be killing an organism that scientists have not even discover yet. Also, if we kill of enough of these special creatures, we could damage the food web, which will ultimately harm us.
Expansion
http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/653840/how_deepsea_mining_could_destroy_the_cradle_of_life_on_earth.html
I found this article on the ecologist website. This article discusses how Papua New Guinea is allowing a Canadian mining company to drag its coastal seabed for minerals. Many are mad because they could be killing life that has not even been discovered.
We always find something new to kill!
ReplyDeleteWow, reading this really opened my eyes to how greedy and cruel our world is. I mean, i always knew what we were doing with the environment was wrong, but this is just unacceptable, what more could we possibly need? What are we gaining from digging in the darkest depths of the oceans? We are ruining ecosystems for no reason. In my opinion, we should be spending that money on rebuilding our government and making the lives of our people better. I know it is not just the United States doing this, but in today's world, every nation could be spending that money wiser.
ReplyDeleteI found this Site about deep sea mining!
Deletehttp://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2010/09/20/is-deep-sea-mining-bad-for-the-environment.html
Question 1) what are the benefits of this kind of mining?
Answer: This kind of mining can produce numerous kinds of metals such as zinc, lead, copper, gold and silver. All of these are elements crucial to human life.
Ask another question:
Are there any other ways to get this resource without ruining the vents?
Ask another question:
Delete2) What exact species is this affecting?
3) How is it affecting them in the long run?
While reading this, i realized what humans are doing to the envirement. They are killing entire species many different species just for a little ore. I think it is terrible what we are doing to the unknown wildelife down at the bottem of the sea. What if the creatures of the deep were actually more imporant then the rocks? People wont know anymore because were killing them off.
ReplyDelete